Walter Paas Papers

1943-1945
Manuscript Collection #705
Portions of this collection are digitized (1 item)
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Creator(s)
Paas, Walter
Physical description
0.055 Cubic Feet, 10 items, consisting of correspondence.
Preferred Citation
Walter Paas Papers (#705), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
Access to audiovisual and digital media is restricted. Please contact Special Collections for more information.

Papers (1943-1945) including correspondence with references made to signaling, semaphore operations, mail delivery problems, etc.

Biographical/historical information

Walter Paas was born in Indiana and served in the United States Navy Armed Guard from 1942-1945 during World War II. He enlisted on November 27, 1942, and served in New York, NY; Chicago, IL; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; and Guam (Mariana Islands). He reached the rank of Signalman First Class and left active duty on October 22, 1945, in Lido Beach, NY.

Scope and arrangement

Correspondence in the collection consists of letters from Walter Paas, Seaman 2nd Class in the U.S. Naval Armed Guards, from Bronx, New York, during his tours of duty in the Pacific aboard the U.S. Army Transport WILLIAM L. THOMPSON and the SS WILLIAM F. EMPEY, an American merchant ship used during World War II. References are made to signaling and semaphore operations, ship food and activities aboard ship and in ports, leisure activities, problems with mail delivery, observations on women in port towns, unwillingness to marry in wartime, and air raids.

Administrative information
Custodial History

May 22, 1995, 10 items; Personal correspondence (1943-1945) of sailor serving with U. S. Naval Armed Guards. Gift courtesy of the Friends of the ECU Library.

Source of acquisition

Gift of Friends of ECU Library

Processing information

Encoded by Apex Data Services; Descriptions updated by Ashlyn Racine, August 2023

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Metadata Rights Declaration
Key terms
Personal Names
Paas, Walter
Corporate Names
United States. Navy--Military life
United States. Navy. Armed Guard
Container list
Box 1 Folder a Item 1 Paas, Walter, Signalman 3rd Class, Armed Guard Center (Pacific), San Francisco, CA V-mail letter to "Dear Mom" M. A. Paas, Bronx, New York, NY (9/15/1943) Holograph. 1 item. 1 p. Note: Interesting comments: on standing watch on ship, use of semaphores & signals, making flags, repairing halyards, shipboard food, asks about rationing at home, hair regrowing after "scalping" at the Equator
Box 1 Folder a Item 2 Paas, Walter, Signalman 3rd Class, Armed Guard, U.S.A.T. WILLIAM L. THOMPSON, at sea. V-mail letter to "Dear Mom" M. A. Paas, Bronx, New York, NY (4/28/1944) Holograph. 1 item. 1 p. Note: Interesting comments: on receipt of cards & note of 17 April before leaving Seattle, Gerald Field is now a sergeant & married, clipping about camp, good Navy food, hearing from friends
Box 1 Folder a Item 3 Paas, Walter, Signalman 2nd Class, U. S. Naval Armed Guard, U.S.A.T. WILLIAM L. THOMPSON, at Sea. V-mail letter to "Dear Mom" M. A. Paas, Bronx, New York, NY (5/2/1944) Holograph. 1 item. 1 p. Note: Interesting comments: Mothers Day poem
Box 1 Folder a Item 4 Paas, Walter, Signalman 2nd Class, U. S. Naval Armed Guard, U.S.A.T. WILLIAM L. THOMPSON, San Francisco, CA. V-mail letter to "Dear Mom" M. A. Paas, Bronx, New York, NY (8/28/1944) Holograph. 1 item. 1 p. Note: Interesting comments: on receipt of letter dated 22 August, dinner with Harry O'Grady, saw "Going My Way" film, glad you had a picnic in the country, source of the chocolates, message for "Weegie."
Box 1 Folder a Item 5 Paas, Walter, Signalman 2nd Class, U. S. Naval Armed Guard, U.S.A.T. WILLIAM L. THOMPSON, at Sea. V-mail letter to "Dear Mom" M. A. Paas, Bronx, New York, NY (9/16/1944) Holograph. 1 item. 1 p. Note: Interesting comments: on receipt of letter of 6 September, congratulations on getting job, experience working on Burroughs Billing machine, letter from Nick, is Gloria back with the family, soldiers getting seasick
Box 1 Folder a Item 6 Paas, Walter, Signalman 2nd Class, U. S. Naval Armed Guard, U.S.A.T. WILLIAM L. THOMPSON, at Sea. V-mail letter to "Dear Mom" M. A. Paas, Bronx, New York, NY (9/22/1944) Holograph. 1 item. 1 p. Note: Interesting comments: on receipt of letter of 12 September, glad of your progress at new job, liked hearing about your picnic, fresh air at sea, weather has been "busy" for the last month, longing for the South, hopes to get leave at same time as Howard, may go ashore this evening and see a show and drink a few beers
Box 1 Folder a Item 7 Paas, Walter, Signalman 2nd Class, Armed Guard, SS WILLIAM F. EMPEY. Airmail letter from a Southwest Pacific Port to "Dear Dot" Miss Dorothy Farrell, Huntington Station, Long Island, NY (12/7/1944) Holograph. 1 item. 1 p. Note: Received letter of 7 October. Interesting comments: on girls in Alaska & Seattle
Box 1 Folder a Item 8 Paas, Walter, Signalman 2nd Class, Armed Guard, SS WILLIAM F. EMPEY. Airmail letter from a Central Pacific Port to "Dear Mom" M. A. Paas, Bronx, New York, NY (12/22/1944) Holograph. 1 item. 3 p. Note: Interesting comments: on receipt of letter dated 14 Dec., in "best of spirits" explanation of "puzzling" behavior while on last leave, have aged, Christmas cards, changes of address, received slippers, sunbathing
Box 1 Folder a Item 8b Paas, Walter, Signalman 2nd Class, Armed Guard, SS WILLIAM F. EMPEY. Airmail letter from a Southwest Pacific Port to "Dear Dot" Miss Dorothy Farrell, Huntington Station, Long Island, NY (1/3/1945) Holograph. 1 item. 3 p. Note: Partly in French. Interesting comments: birthday gifts, film "Miss Parkington", use of French language skills, losing Alaska "pale-face look", swimming in island beach, beers
Box 1 Folder a Item 9 Paas, Walter, Signalman 2nd Class, Armed Guard, SS WILLIAM F. EMPEY. Airmail letter from a Central Pacific Port to "Dear Mom" M. A. Paas, Bronx, New York, NY (1/13/1945) Holograph. 1 item. 3 p. Note: Interesting comments: on advisability of marriage during wartime, swimming in Pacific lagoons, softball games, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, air raids